Cushion construction



Sept, 12, 1939. c. H. MENGE 2,172,942

CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed June 8, 1937 11v VENTOR CLARENCE H. MENGE Patented Sept. 12, 1939 CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Clarence H. Menge; Detroit, Mich" to The Murray Corporation of America, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application June 8, 1937, Serial No. 111,085

12 Claims. (01.155419) This invention relates to spring construction, and particularly to a novel and improved form of a cushion constructed from a front and rear border frame element preformed to receive the ends of the springs.

In my co-pending application, Serial No. 139,765, filed April 29, 1937, Ihave illustrated, described, and claimed a seat construction wherein the improved border element was employed for I supporting the springs, the resulting frame being supported by coil springs to' a bottom frame member.

The spring elements are constructedof sinuously formed wire having a set along its longitudinal dimension on a curvature of an are smaller than that which willbe employed when in use. A seat constructed in this manner not only provides a reduction in weight and therefor material, but also, in view of the continuous top surface, a thin pad may be employed providing a material saving in padding.

In the present construction, the front and rear border frame elements support the spring units and are interconnected by a plurality of braces to retain the ends in proper spaced relation to each other. The endmost spring units are braced to the frame or to the border elements inwardly of their endsand the side frame elements heretofore employed are eliminated. While the seat frame constructed in this manner is extremely light, it is also durable and materially thinner and thereby provides an increased area in a vehicle compartment particularly when the cushion is employed as a back element in a seat. As much as four or five inches in length is obtained in the front and rear compartment of a vehicle body when substituting the present cushion for the thick backed cushion heretofore provided.

Accordingly, the main objects of my invention are to form a seat or back frame from a front and a back border element which are inter-connected only by bracing members disposed inwardly .from the ends thereof; to form a seat frame from a front and back border element having a channel shape for receiving and locking the ends of the springs in position; to inter-connect the front and back border elements by springs and retaining the border elements in predetermined spaced relation by bracing members disposed therebetween; to provide a cushion frame with a plurality of spring elements which are braced against movement laterally of the frame by wires connected to the front and rear border elements inwardly ofthe ends thereof;

as to brace the end elements of a spring cushion by wireswhich are connected to bracing elements for spacingthe front-and back border elements; and in general to construct a spring seat or back frame for a cushion which is simple in construction and assembly, light in weight and economical of manufacture.

Other objects and features of novelty of my invention will be eitherspecifically pointed out, or will become apparent when referring, for a better understanding of my invention, to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a frame for a seat cushion embodying features of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view'of a structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 1, showing a modified form structure illustrated in Fig. 1, taken on the line 66 thereof;

Fig. 7 is a broken plan view of one form of the I construction-illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2; and

Fig. 8 is a view of the structure, similar to that illustrated in Fig. 7, showing a modified form thereof.

While my present invention follows somewhat that of my above mentioned application, the construction provides a'cushion which is materially simplified in that the base frame element and the springs for retainingthe seat portion have been entirely eliminated aswell as the side frame wires which connected the frontand rear border elements. In the present invention, the front and rear border elements l0 and II are similar to those employed in the co-pending application, above mentioned. However, after the ends of the sinuous springs l2 have ben inserted in the border elements, the channel portions 23 thereof which are open-to receive the ends of the springs, are crimped, at l3, to retain the elements in rigid, locked position.

The spring elements I2 are inter-connected by suitable links H and the end elements are braced by suitable gbracing wires l5, as illustrated in front and rear border elements ID and H. The bracing elements l1, as illustrated in Fig. 5, are of channel section having a wire l8 secured tothe ends thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The wire has its projecting ends disposed at an angle and inserted in one of the recesses formed in the border elements for retaining the brace in fixed relation thereto. The brace is of angle shape to provide depth to the cushion. Bracing wires l5 are secured to the end bracing elements I! which may be connected to adjacent elements I? by suitable wires 2| which have their ends disposed at an angle and secured in the channel of the brace in a manner similar to that of securing the wire I8 therein. The brace wires I5 may be clipped to a wire 22 which extends along the outer edge of the endmost springs l2 to brace the entire length of the springs and retain them in predetermined relation to the end bracing elements l1 and therefore to the ends of the border elements I0 and II. In Figure 2, the bracing wires are secured to the central portion of the endmost spring elements l2 and are extended inwardly of the ends of the border elements l0 and l I and secured in a recess thereof.

In Fig. 7, I have illustrated the ends of the wire of the spring l2 inserted through a channel portion 23 into a recess portion 24 with the ends abutting against the shoulders 25 provided in the element. After the ends are inserted in this manner, the channel portion 23 is crimped, at 13, to retain the springs locked in position in the border elements. In Fig. 8, the end of the spring element I2 is slightly bent at 26 so as to ride over one of the shoulder portions 25 to lock itself in position after being inserted in the channel portion 23. Thereafter the channel portion is crimped at [3, to lock the wire in position.

The frame constructed in this manner is extremely light and durable and provides a continuous spring surface. Only a very thin pad is required to cover the surface sufficiently to prevent the spring elements from projecting or being felt therethrough. A material saving in labor and in materials, both in metal and in the cotton padding obtains when my present cushion construction is employed. It is to be understood that a suitable tacking strip or wood frame may be employed with the seat frame constructed in the above described manner to which the trim fabric may be tacked when stretched over the padding and frame.

While I have described and illustrated but two embodiments of my invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions, additions and substitutions may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as set forth in the accompanying claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A seat frame comprising front and rear border elements of general channel shape, portions of which are crimped upon themselves forming recesses, sinuous spring elements having their ends inserted within the recesses and retained therein through the crimping of the channel portion after the ends are inserted in the recesses, and bracing elements extending between the front and rear border members to retain them spaced a pre-determined distance apart, said bracing elements having wires extending from the ends thereof which are secured in a recess of said border elements.

2. A seat frame including, in combination, a front and rear border element, arcuate spring members of sinuous form supported thereby, cross braces spacing said elements, and bracing members engaging the endmost spring members fl'ld secured to the elements inwardly of the ends thereof.

3. A seat frame including, in combination, a front and rear border element of channel shape having crimped portions forming recesses, arcuate spring members of sinuous form hooked in said recesses and supported thereby, cross braces spacing said elments, and wires engaging the endmost spring members and connected to said braces.

4. A seat frame including, in combination, a front and rear border element having tubular recesses, arcuate spring members of sinuous form having their ends inserted longitudinally within said recesses and retained thereby, braces extending across said border elements, and additional bracing means extending from said braces to the endmost spring members.

5. A seat fame including, in combination, a front and rear border element having tubular recesses, arcuate spring members of sinuous form having their ends inserted longitudinally within said recesses and retained thereby, cross braces spacing said border elements, and braces engaging the endmost spring members and secured to said border elements inwardly of the ends thereof.

6. A seat frame including, in combination, a front and rear border element having tubular recesses, springs having their ends secured in said recesses, means locking said spring ends in said recesses, and braces spacing said elements, said braces having projections disposed and locked in said recesses.

'7. A seat frame including front and rear border elements with a plurality of alternate tubular recesses and open channel portions adapted to receive the angular ends of laterally projecting members through said open channel portions and in said recesses.

8. A border member for a seat frame having a plurality of alternately disposed channel portions and tubular recesses adapted to receive an angularly projecting end of an associated element inserted through said open channel portions into an adjacent tubular recess.

9. The method of assembling a spring construction which comprises forming a sheet metal channel-like border frame element, crimping the walls of said channel together at spaced points along said channel to provide tunnels for the reception of a spring end, inserting the last lateral convolution of a spring element in one of said tunnels and crimping the walls of said channel together behind said spring element to lock the same in position.

10. The method of forming a spring construction which comprises crimping a pair of sheet metal generally channel shaped border frame elements at spaced points throughout their lengths to provide a series of spaced spring receiving tunne'ls, assembling said border frame elements to provide a relatively rigid framework with one of said elements at each of the opposite sides thereof, forming sections of sinuously bent spring wire normalized on an arc of considerably smaller radius than the radius of the are which said spring elements. must assume when assembled, inserting the last lateral convolution of each of said spring elements in one of the tunnels in said border frame elements and deforming said border frame elements to lock said spring elements therein.

11. The method of forming a spring construction which comprises forming from sheet metal a generally channel-shaped border frame element, bending the walls of said border frame element at spaced points to form spaced tunnels therealong, inserting a laterally bent wire element in one of said tunnels and further deforming said border element to lock said wire element in said tunnel.

12. The method of forming a spring construction which comprises forming a sheet metal strip to provide a generally channel-shaped border frame element,'crimping the walls of said channel-shaped border frame element together at spaced points therealong to provide spaced tunnels adapted for the reception of a portion 01 a spring element, inserting the last lateral con- 5 CLARENCE H. MENGE. 

